Republic of Ireland will be taking on Bosnia-Herzegovina in the second leg of the Euro 2016 qualifying match at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin on Monday.
Both the sides are placed in the third position of their respective groups and either of the sides need to win this game in the Euro play-off second leg on Monday in order to make it to the main stage of the UEFA Euro 2016, which will be held in France.
In the first leg, Martin O'Neil and his men took the lead in the 82nd minute of the game and it almost looked certain that they will win that game against Bosnia-Herzegovina in front of the latter's home crowd. But Edin Dzeko was present to spoil Republic of Ireland's party. He cancelled their lead with a brilliant finish in the dying minutes of the game to secure a draw. All eyes will be on Dzeko on Monday to see whether he powers his country to the main stage of the Euro 2016.
If Republic of Ireland make it to the Euro 2016, then this will be their third time in history of the tournament. Also Republic of Ireland have not lost a game in Dublin since September 2013. That is some record and it will take special efforts from the visiting side in order to outclass the men in green at home.
"We have to try and win the game. If we set out with any other sort of mindset, we could be in trouble. The ultimate goal does not change and is the same for both of us. The tie is finely balanced," Republic of Ireland head coach Martin O'Neil told the media ahead of the game on Monday.
"It's not about my managerial career, it's about the Republic of Ireland trying to win a game to get to France. I don't think I could put it in more simple terms. It would be great if we could qualify – a big boost to the country."
The first leg of this do-or-die encounter saw Mehmed Bazdarevic and his men controlling most of the ball possession but they failed to find the back of the net more than once, which could have sealed the game then and there. The head coach of Bosnia-Herzegovina Bazdarevic felt that it will not be cream and cheese for his boys against Republic of Ireland in Dublin. But he is also hopeful that they can make it to the Euro 2016.
"The Irish were what we expected [in the first leg]. I'm sure in Dublin they will be more aggressive and better still. However, I remain convinced that we have enough quality and strength to convert our chances into goals and to get the result. There just has to be more fighting spirit, more heart," Bazdarevic told the reporters.
Expected lineups:
Republic of Ireland: Randolph; Coleman, Keogh, O'Shea, Ward; Hendrick, Whelan, McCarthy, Brady; Hoolahan; Walters.
Bosnia-Herzegovina: Begovic; Mujdza, Sunjic, Spahic, Zukanovic; Visca, Pjanic, Besic, Lulic; Ibisevic, Dzeko.
Where to watch live:
The do or die encounter between Repbulic of Ireland and Bosnia-Herzegovina is scheduled for a 8:45 pm local time (1:15 am IST, 8:45 pm BST & 3:45 pm EST) start. Unfortunately there will be no live coverage of this crunch game in India. The live streaming option is also not available in the Indian sub-continent.
Viewers in UK can watch Republic of Ireland vs Bosnia-Herzegovina live on Sky Sports 1 and Sky Sports HD1, Now TV. Fans can also stream the same live on SkyGo.
Audience in the United States of America can tune into Fox Sports 1 and Fox Sports Go to watch Republic of Ireland vs Bosnia-Herzegovina. They can also live stream the cracking encounter on FoxSoccer2Go.
Fans in Dublin can switch to Sky Sports 1 and Sky Sports HD1, Now TV. Fans can also stream the same live on SkyGo.
Football fans in Bosnia can switch to BHT1 to watch Republic of Ireland vs Bosnia-Herzegovina live. Live streaming option is not available.
